Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law @sjquinney.bsky.social · Sep 8

We're opening a new pilot pro bono patent + trademark law clinic in spring 2026 to help with IP issues like trademark applications! Dan Thomas will be the first IP clinic director, with support from Sam Noel. Professors Jackie Morrison and @jcontreras.bsky.social will also supervise the clinic.

College of Law to open IP clinic in spring 2026 - S.J. Quinney College of Law

Utah Law will open a new pro bono patent and trademark law clinic on a pilot basis in spring 2026 as part of the U.S....

www.law.utah.edu

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University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law @sjquinney.bsky.social · Aug 24

Professor @jcontreras.bsky.social is quoted in @bloomberglaw.com about tech company Masimo's lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the agency’s decision to allow Apple to restore the blood oxygen tracking feature on Apple Watches. news.bloomberglaw.com/internationa...

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Jeanne Fromer @jeannefromer.bsky.social · Nov 17

Love Bronwyn! “I vacillate between defending [my style] and being like, no, the cheese stands alone. And I would definitely wear a cheese dress.” www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/s...

Bronwyn Newport’s Style Stands Out on ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’

The addition of Bronwyn Newport to the cast of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” has added a maximalist approach to a series known for its understated aesthetic.

www.nytimes.com

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Jun 26

Now in print - Unpacking Open Source Bio (Indiana L.J.), papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
#opensource, #biotech, #biobricks

Unpacking Open Source Bio

For at least a quarter of a century, life science researchers around the world have undertaken initiatives loosely based on principles, goals, and institutional

papers.ssrn.com

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University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law @sjquinney.bsky.social · Jun 13

Professors @jcontreras.bsky.social and @medlawdan.bsky.social and other health and IP law experts filed an amicus brief in the 23andMe bankruptcy case, arguing that data should be available to researchers for scientific advancement, medical discovery and public health.

Professor Jorge Contreras and Associate Professor Daniel Aaron file amicus brief in 23andMe bankruptcy case - S.J. Quinney College of Law

Professor Jorge Contreras, Associate Professor Daniel Aaron and more than a dozen IP, health law and bioethics scholars filed an amicus brief in the 23andMe bankruptcy...

www.law.utah.edu

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · May 2

Lots of important updates and accomplishments to report this Spring from the #IP Program @sjquinney.bsky.social.

#patent, #copyright, #trademark

myemail.constantcontact.com/Utah-Law-IP-...

Utah Law IP Program Newsletter: April 2025

Email from S.J. Quinney College of Law The latest updates from Utah Law's IP program. The University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law Program on Intellectual Property and Technology Law IP @ th

myemail.constantcontact.com

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Minnesota Law @umnlawschool.bsky.social · Apr 16

Prof. @jcontreras.bsky.social was quoted in @law360.bsky.social about a recent statement by Elon Musk and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey that the U.S. should “delete all IP law” — referring to the laws relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and related rights.
z.umn.edu/adlz

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Apr 15

Musk/Dorsey want to "delete all IP law". Let's not. But this could be a moment to review ways to trim some of the excesses that have developed in our IP systems. In this Law360 piece by @theresaschliep.bsky.social, I say we should think about it.
#patent, #DOGE
www.law360.com/ip/articles/...

Musk Supports Deleting IP Law, Attorneys Say Let's Not - Law360

Elon Musk's endorsement of a terse social media post from tech executive Jack Dorsey saying "delete all IP law" drew scorn from the intellectual property community and was followed by posts from U.S. ...

www.law360.com

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Feb 28

What is this thing anyway?

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Feb 28

"Hillbilly Elegy" indeed. #Medicaid graphic from @nytimes.com

Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Feb 12

Those are fabulous chapters with some great illustrations.

Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Feb 12

Curious about sub-patent innovation rights like utility models? @cambridgeup.bsky.social has just released our new book, freely available open access here:
www.cambridge.org/core/books/s...

Sub-Patent Innovation Rights

Cambridge Core - Intellectual Property - Sub-Patent Innovation Rights

www.cambridge.org

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Dec 23

"The Genome Defense - Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns your DNA" (genomedefense.org) is now available from publisher Misuzu Shobo in Japan! I'm proud to see this true law story reach a global audience.
@algonquinbooks.bsky.social @sjquinney.bsky.social @umnlawschool.bsky.social

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Dec 22

You do what’s necessary. The spice must flow.

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Dec 20

Spotted last week in Minneapolis.

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Dec 20

Nice infographic from @wired.com showing the #AI #Copyright lawsuits and who's suing whom. Full (paywalled) story at www.wired.com/story/ai-cop...

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Dec 20

I testified yesterday at the Senate IP Subcomm hearing on the RESTORE Patent Rights Act, asking why we need another bill to help patent trolls. Recording is here: www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-ac... (my 5 minutes of fame begin around 56:52).
@sjquinney.bsky.social @umnlawschool.bsky.social

Time Change: The RESTORE Patent Rights Act: Restoring America’s Status as the Global IP Leader | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

www.judiciary.senate.gov

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University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law @sjquinney.bsky.social · Dec 18

Professor @jcontreras.bsky.social, an IP law expert, was a testifying witness at today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the RESTORE Patent Rights Act, a bill that would overturn part of the eBay test for permanent injunctions. www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-ac...

A middle-aged Hispanic man with short dark-brown hair, brown eyes and glasses

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Dec 14

The fact that political disinformation campaigns have existed for at least a century and are deeply rooted within the American political system.

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Nov 27

Why not avoid the milk all together and go right to raw chicken?

Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Nov 26

This is a public service announcement.
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/25/w...

How Healthy Is Turkey? (Gift Article)

Give thanks for this bird — and its many nutritional benefits.

www.nytimes.com

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Nov 25

In the silver linings [?] category, I recently posted an op-ed on @law360.bsky.social asking whether Elon Musk's patent-skepticism will impact the new administration's patent policies.
www.law360.com/articles/226...

Trump Patent Policy May Be Headed In Unexpected Direction - Law360

While commentators have assumed that the patent policy of President-elect Donald Trump's second administration will largely mirror the pro-patent policy of his first, these predictions fail to take in...

www.law360.com

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Nov 25

I have lived all my life in America and did not know the origin of the term either. And I don’t even speak French. Thank you!

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Nov 25

Thanks! Sounds intriguing and similar to Harari’s “Sapiens” and even Winchester’s “Atlantic” (with its obvious limitations). Am I ready for another global panhistory of humanity?

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Nov 23

This month, looking for a broader perspective on the US political situation, I read Jill Lapore's 2018 "These Truths", a new American history from pre-Columbian times to Trump 1. It's a tour de force; sobering but highly recommended.
wwnorton.com/books/978039...

These Truths

“Nothing short of a masterpiece.” —NPR Books A New York Times Bestseller and a Washington Post Notable Book of the Year In the most ambitious one-...

wwnorton.com

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Nov 23

Regrettably those are all works of fiction.

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Nov 23

I am another such person. Seems so obvious.

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Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Nov 23

What was the genius teacher who came up with that gruesome prompt expecting?

Jorge Contreras @jcontreras.bsky.social · Nov 23

May we suggest this approach?

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